Monday, January 14, 2013

The Death of Bees review

"Today is Christmas Eve.

Today is my birthday.

Today I am fifteen.

Today I buried my parents in the backyard.

Neither of them were beloved."

Some books are just hard to write about about. The Death of Bees is a quirky story -- one I wouldn't hesitate to even refer to as strange -- and incredibly difficult to describe. Two sisters, Marnie and Nelly, are orphaned and the only ones who truly know what happened to their parents. Determined to take care of themselves, the pair continue living alone in their home until a kind nosy neighbor realizes what's taking place and swoops in to help.

Lennie becomes a strange sort of guardian for the girls and a pseudo-family forms between the three of them, only to last until others start asking more prying questions regarding the the girls, their parents, and the reason they ended up dead. Told in alternating voices, the humor stands out in the plot, though it's most definitely morbid humor. Not typically my cup of tea, but Marnie and Nelly really grew on me as the book progressed.

I must admit, if not for signing up to review this one, I might have put it down a couple of times. The writing is very well done and the characters are deep and written in an incredibly unique way, but the dark and disturbing tone of the story is not going to be for everyone. I do encourage you give it a try... especially if you're in the mood for a dark, quirky story.

Nice to meet you!

I'm Amanda! I'm a book lover, former librarian, wannabe runner, military wife, and toddler mom. Here you'll find ramblings on great books for all ages and the occasional musing on life. Thanks for stopping by! Contact me at ASnow512@gmail.com.